The invention relates to a folder for two product lines, preferably in the form of superposed working planes, which each have a transverse folding means and a conveying belt extending therefrom, and of which at least one is provided with a longitudinal folding means, having the associated conveyor belt running through it, for the production of a second longitudinal fold.
A folder of this type has been described in the German specification (DE-OS) 3,626,287. Although in this known folder there is the possibility of supplying products of the two working planes into a common longitudinal or transverse fold delivery there is, however no possibility of placing the products of the two working planes on top of each other prior to making the second longitudinal fold and of jointly providing them with a second longitudinal fold, as may be an advantage in the case of the production of two supplements both to be incorporated in one newspaper.
The European specification (EP-A) 02 10 634 does admittedly describe a folder with two transverse folding means and two conveyor belts extending therefrom, in the case of which the transversely folded products running into the two conveyor belts are placed on top of each other and may be jointly supplied to a subsequent longitudinal folding means for the production of a second longitudinal fold. In this case the conveyor belts coming from the two transverse folding means run together in a forked manner. However these conveyor belts are not adjustable. There is therefore the danger that the products to be placed on each other, if they are not aligned and in register when they enter the fork, will be superposed with a mutual offset, this being a nuisance and being prone to produce difficulties during the production of the second longitudinal fold. Such an imperfect register is however never completely to be avoided in practice. A still further disadvantage of this prior art arrangement is to be seen in the fact that the two transverse folding means are arranged in tandem at generally the same level and that the conveyor belt extending away from the rear transverse folding means is trained generally in the form of a letter U about the front transverse folding means so that access to the latter is impeded. The arrangement in accordance with the European specification (EP-A) 02 10 634 is thus to be regarded as not being sufficiently easy to use and to service.